


Casual Kisses

by Too_Many_Too_Much_81194



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Confessions, Getting out of Cryostasis, Jealous Tony, M/M, Made For Each Other, Mild Smut, Nightmares, Protective Bucky, Short & Sweet, Steve and Bucky - Freeform, Stucky - Freeform, Teasing, maybe sequel, sickly sweet fluff, stucky fluff, sue me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:08:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Too_Many_Too_Much_81194/pseuds/Too_Many_Too_Much_81194
Summary: Bucky wakes up from cryostasis after one year passes. He can't wait to see Steve. After a week, he moves into the Avengers compound (Is that still a thing?) with him and gets used to life without Hydra. Confessions and Kisses!! (Also mild smut)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything for two weeks so I apologize for rustiness. I hope you enjoy as much as I enjoyed writing this! I will update the last chapter in a few days. All Kudos and comments are highly appreciated!

The room was bright, like a white hot flame. It stung Bucky’s eyes to the point of tears. He blinked, adjusting to the white room. He was staring at the ceiling and his arm was immobile. So were his legs. He struggled against the belts holding him down, confused and panicked.   
“Bucky? Please calm down. You are safe. It is just a precaution.” A familiar voice tried to sooth him. A woman's voice. “Where am I?” Bucky asked defensively, and memories rushed back to him. Steve. “Where is Steve?” The ties loosened around his arm and he sat up.   
“Mr. Rogers wanted to be here but I didn’t want you to be overwhelmed.” The woman said. “Do you remember anything yet?” She asked, holding up a clipboard. She looked young, pretty. “A little.” Bucky croaked, head throbbing. The woman wrote something down and sat on a stool. “It may take a bit for your memories to catch up to you. I’m Shuri. Do you remember me?” And with that simple name, memories flooded Bucky’s brain, fighting for space. His eyes widened. “How long has it been?” He asked urgently, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Did… did you do it? Did you figure how to get it out?” Bucky questioned, shivering with anticipation. Shuri smiled kindly. “It has been one year, and I think so. I already did the preparations and the last thing we need to do is test if it worked.” Bucky recoiled, frowning. He knew this was coming, he wasn’t sure if he was ready. “But for now, you can settle in. There is a room for you down the hall and tomorrow Ms. Romanov will be here.” Bucky nodded, trying to process everything. It felt like his brain was scrambled and a handful of emotions were fighting for space in his head.   
Had it really only been a year? Bucky honestly thought he would never come out of the cryostasis. He wished Steve was here. He slowly got up to follow Shuri to his room. He thought about asking Shuri when he could see Steve but he didn’t want to seem desperate. His room was all white, just like the room he came from. There was a large window overlooking the lush green jungle of Wakanda. He sat on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to soothe the throbbing of his head. “I will be down the hall if you need me. Try to relax.” Shuri smiled again, standing in the doorway. Bucky silently nodded.   
As if reading his mind, she added one last thing. “Mr. Rogers really did want to be here today. It was hard to get him to stay put.” Bucky looked up, and Shuri was gone. His cheeks warmed at the thought of Steve wanting so desperately to be with Bucky. He laid down on the plush bed, rubbing his temples. God he hoped Hydra was out of his head. 

Bucky startled awake in a pool of sweat, fingers tingling with anxiety. His breathing was coming out on short, uneven gasps. He fell back onto the bed groaning. It didn’t matter if the trigger words were gone or not, nothing could erase the flashbacks of torture and pain. The death. What he had done. His room was dark, only the pale moon gave light. Bucky sat up, looking out at Wakanda. He was scared to fall back into nightmares, so he got up and wandered down the halls of whatever building he was in. There was a wide window all along the hallway, lighting it with the moon. All the doors were closed but one. He peered in carefully. Shuri was hunched over at a desk, microscopes and other tech flooding the room.   
Bucky watched her for a while, scribbling down notes and sighing at her work. After a while, what seemed like hours, a waft of sleepiness overtook him. He wandered back to his room and laid in bed. He thought about his and Steve’s old apartment that was never warm enough, and caring for Steve whenever he had so much as a simple cold. He smiled to himself and turned over in bed, drifting into a restless sleep. 

The next day, Bucky woke up to soft knocking at his door. Shuri brought him breakfast which he hardly ate and then Natasha arrived. She smiled warmly at Bucky. “You ready to do this?” She asked. Bucky barely nodded. He didn’t feel ready but then, he didn’t think he ever would. He wanted Steve to be there, to help him feel grounded.   
Nat was going to be the one “testing” Bucky because she spoke Russian. It was strange because Bucky never recalled learning Russian, one day it was just there. Bucky, Nat and Shuri walked down to a field of goats and into a small hut. If Bucky did act out, they wanted to be somewhere remote where no one would get hurt. Bucky, shaking with nerves, sat on a chair in the corner of the hut. Shuri held out a notebook to Nat who gave Bucky a knowing look before starting. “Longing.” She started, voice deeper with Russian. “Rusted.” Bucky leaned his head back against the wall, trying to focus on what anchored him. “Furnace. Daybreak.” He clenched his fist tightly, bearing his teeth to the roof. Nat, noticing his distress, sped up. “Seventeen, benign, nine, homecoming, on, freight car!” Bucky was still, shaking slightly.   
“Soldier?” Bucky leapt forward, grabbing Shuri. Natasha flinched, grabbing a gun from her side, stopping only when she heard Shuri laugh. “It’s okay!” She said. Tears threatened to fall down Bucky’s cheeks as he hugged Shuri. “Thank you.” He whispered. One of the warriors that guarded Wakanda walked along the field in long strides. She pulled Shuri aside and she grinned, nodding. She walked back to where Bucky and Natasha stood. “Bucky, Steve is here to see you.” She said, smiling. Bucky’s face broke into a grin. “Before you see him, would you like your new arm?” She asked. Bucky cocked an eyebrow, much more like his old self now that nerves weren’t prickling his skin. Shuri picked up a wooden box and opened it, revealing a gold interlaced, titanium arm. 

Shuri had Steve brought to Bucky’s room to see him. Bucky was full of a new kind of nervousness. It had been so long since Steve had seen him and he wasn’t sure if anything had changed or not. Steve was pure excitement. He had been just waiting for Bucky to be free, (he hoped it worked) and finally he could find out if Bucky could come home.   
The door creaked open and Bucky entered. Steve grinned. “Hey Buck.” His face fell. “What’s wrong?” He approached Bucky and wiped a tear from his cheek, his slight stubble scratching his thumb. “It worked, Steve. I’m free.” Steve’s heart lurched and he pulled him into a tight hug. “Buck, that’s great.” Steve said quietly. Bucky nuzzled into Steve’s shoulder, breathing in his vanilla-y scent and relishing in it. When they broke, Steve sat on Bucky’s bed.   
“Shuri says I should stay in Wakanda for at least a week. She wants to make sure I’m stable enough and I get used to… everything.” Bucky said, sitting beside Steve, who looked at him thoughtfully. “That makes sense. Do you… want me to stay?” Steve asked hesitantly. Bucky shrugged, trying to conceal his want. “If you want to.” Steve nodded slowly to himself, not knowing what the hell that meant. Bucky noticed his complicated look and said, “Yes. Stay. This room is too cold.” Steve’s cheeks turned pink. When him and Bucky shared an apartment, especially in winter, Bucky would always say ‘this room is too cold’ before creeping into bed with Steve, though he was oblivious of what it did to him.   
That night, long after midnight, Bucky found himself awake and tangled in Steve’s arms. He was suddenly filled with a guilty longing. He couldn’t help but think of things he knew he shouldn’t. His forehead was pressed against Steve’s chest, his arms wrapped around his waist. Intoxicated with his scent, he fell back asleep in five minutes. A new record for him.   
Bucky had a dream that night, though it felt so real. He was cold, but not in an uncomfortable way, and he couldn’t see. He heard Steve talking to him, telling him about his day. “Bucky, I wish you were here. I wish you could hear me.” He said. His voice faint and quiet as if there was a wall between him and Bucky. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I… I love you Bucky. In ways I knew to be wrong, but, the world has changed and now it’s normal.” In his dream, Bucky didn’t react. When he woke, he kept his eyes closed, trying to get back to Steve, to tell him he felt the same. “Bucky?” He hummed in response to Steve’s voice. “Are you okay?” Bucky opened his eyes, looking up at Steve who was propped up on his arms. He then realized how tightly he was gripping onto him. He immediately let go, eyes wide. “Sorry… I was just…” His eyes were locked with Steve’s and it seemed that words were lost on him. All he could think was how much he wished his dream was reality.   
“Nightmare?” Steve asked. Bucky was snapped back to reality. He nodded.   
“Somethin’ like that.”

Soon, a week rolled past and Bucky could leave. Steve had talked to Tony and convinced him to allow Bucky to live in the Avengers compound with Steve. “Are you sure Steve? I don’t-”  
“It will be fine. But he is making us share a floor. I figured that would be fine since we used to have an apartment.” Steve said, dragging Bucky into the compound. Steve had clearly been living in the compound for a while and it was a mess. “Jeez Stevie, did a hurricane hit?” Bucky teased. Steve glared even though he couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face. It had been so long since Bucky had acted like himself. Or… his old self. Over the past week, he frequently stuttered while talking to Steve and was so careful, like if he didn’t ask permission to breathe he would be scolded. Steve understood of course. Shuri had mentioned to him that over the days, Bucky would remember more and more of his memories that Hydra had wiped out of him over the years, including the torture.  
Keeping that in mind, Steve was always sympathetic and was patient with Bucky. He never pressured him to remember anything from when they were young or ask him for information on Hydra like Tony wanted. But, lately Bucky had been getting more of his sassy, confident self back again.   
“Seriously Stevie, this place is a mess.” Bucky said. He only had one suitcase of clothes that Steve had gotten him so it didn’t take long for him to get settled. He had even sent Steve out to get groceries after seeing a very sad fridge of rotten veggies and leftovers. When he came back, the place was as clean as it was when Steve moved in and the air was filled with the smell of banana bread.   
“Whatcha makin?” Steve asked, setting the groceries down on the counter. Bucky was laying on the love-seat watching tv. He turned it off and got up to put things away. “Banana bread. Obviously.” He joked, pinching Steve’s arm.   
“Smells great.” Steve smiled as Bucky passed him things to put in the now empty fridge. “I see you cleaned up.” Bucky nodded.   
“Don’t know how you lived in that pigsty. Can you take the bread out when that timer goes off? I want to have a shower.” Steve nodded, glancing at the timer set on the oven. Bucky smiled warmly and vanished into their bathroom. 

The hot water ran down Bucky’s scarred body. He hated every one of his scars. Each had its own memory attached. He thought instead about the dream he had been frequently having of Steve saying that he loved Bucky. Every time was the same and it made him think that maybe it was a memory of when he was asleep. He crept out of the shower, towel around his waist, steam chasing him out of the room. He ventured into their room and slipped on some boxer briefs and black sweatpants. He rummaged through Steve’s shirts and found a hoodie that fit just a little too big. It smelled like Steve was hugging him no matter what.   
He turned around and was startled by Steve leaning on the doorway. He turned red as Steve smirked. “Stealing, are we?” Bucky hoped he wasn’t as red as he thought. He hid his self consciousness behind his own smirk. He walked over to Steve, which he discovered was slightly taller than him. “Spying on me while I change?” Now it was Steve’s turn to turn a bright, tomato red. “N-no! I just saw you rummaging through my shirts!” Steve stuttered defensively. Bucky’s smirk only grew at his adorable embarrassment. “Hmmm.” Bucky questioned, turning away to hang his towel up. “Really!” Steve added, set on making sure that Bucky knew he was telling the truth. “Mhmmm.” Bucky hummed, teasing Steve easily. Steve glared, still tomato red. Bucky turned back to him and massaged between Steve’s eyebrows with his thumb.   
“Loosen up or you’re gonna look like you are always glaring.” Steve did as Bucky told, relaxing his face and staring into Bucky’s blue-green eyes. Bucky dropped his hand from Steve’s face, not breaking eye contact. “Steve…” He breathed, both of them ever so slightly leaning in, until suddenly there was a loud, annoying beep beep beep from the kitchen. At first, neither of them moved. “...We should get that.” Bucky said quietly. Steve nodded and turned away, wandering off to the kitchen. Bucky trailed behind him, pretty damned sure that his dream wasn’t just a good dream. He entered the kitchen and it was noticeably warmer. The air smelled sweet and edible. Bucky grabbed a toothpick as Steve set the warm banana bread on a cooling rack. He poked it through the middle and pulled it out. It came out clean so he set another timer for ten minutes so it could cool before they took it out of the pan.   
It seemed that neither men knew what to do with themselves now. There was an awkward silence before Bucky decided to retreat back to the TV. Steve followed, sitting at the other end of the couch. Bucky didn’t know about Steve, but he wasn’t paying attention to the TV at all. His heart was still hammering against his chest and his skin still felt tingly with excitement. He couldn’t help but think about how close they had been to kissing. He had felt Steve’s warm breath on his cheek and could almost hear his heart pacing. He was still drunk on his scent, although wearing his hoodie was probably not helping. The timer beeped again and Bucky rose, walking briskly to the kitchen. He had never noticed how all the colours of their floor of the compound were warm colours. The cupboards and counters were deep brown, the fridge and stove were black. (Was that a warm colour?) It was nothing like the obnoxious white his room was in Wakanda. He flipped the pan over and grabbed a bread knife, carefully cutting out two pieces, when suddenly he felt strong arms wrap around his stomach and a chin rest on his shoulder. He only froze for a second before continuing.   
Steve sighed, his breath tickling Bucky’s ear. He hung onto Bucky as he occupied himself with cleaning the kitchen and washing the dishes. “You know,” Bucky said, his deep voice rumbling through Steve in a most pleasant way. “I keep having this dream.” He continued. Steve hummed, closing his eyes. “And I’m convinced that it’s really a memory. From when I was in cryostasis.” Steve stiffened as if he knew where this was going, but he stayed silent. Bucky turned in Steve’s arms so they were nose to nose. He hung his wet hands around Steve’s shoulders. “Was it just a dream?” Bucky whispered, looking longingly at Steve’s lips. Steve’s breathing hitched in his throat. He silently shook his head and Bucky smiled, lips parted. Steve couldn’t handle it any longer, Bucky being so close to where he wanted him, but still not there. He leaned in carefully and their lips crashed together. Steve pushed on the small of Bucky’s back and Bucky gripped Steve’s shirt.   
Bucky pushed his tongue against Steve’s teeth, asking for entry and he let him in. Bucky tasted like banana bread; he must have snuck a piece while cutting the abandoned slices. Bucky had never kissed like this before. It was always a mess of saliva and teeth hitting each other. This wasn’t hungry, this was loving and gentle. Steve’s hand traveled just below the waist of Bucky’s boxers and he let out a soft groan into Steve’s mouth, heedless to what it did to Steve. They broke and leaned their foreheads together, wearing matching smiles.   
“You taste like banana bread.” Steve mumbled. Bucky hummed and slipped out of Steve’s arms, grabbing a piece off the counter. “Try it.” Steve accepted the bread gratefully.   
Soon it got dark and Bucky was heavy with sleep, an unfamiliar feeling, being tired. To be fair it had been a long day. “Time for bed?” Steve asked, pausing whatever it was that was on TV. Bucky just grunted. His eyelids had never felt so heavy. He was drifting off, laying on Steve’s chest. He had been playing with his hair, telling him never to cut it. Steve carried Bucky to his bed and tucked him in, just like Bucky had done to Steve back before the serum when life was simpler. Steve had turned to leave but Bucky snatched his wrist. “Stay. Please.” Steve smiled in the dark. “Okay.” He snuggled up behind Bucky, spooning him tenderly.   
“I have a one word question.” Bucky slurred sleepily.   
“That’s impossible.” Steve said. “But okay. Shoot.”  
“Forever?” Steve froze, his heart melting. He was taken over with more affection than he knew possible for this man next to him. “Longer.” He whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter will be the last of "Casual Kisses". It's a bit shorter than the last, I apologize. I might do a sequel and make this into a series. Please comment! All Kudos and comments are appreciated!!

In the morning, Bucky woke up tangled in Steve’s limbs, blanket pushed aside. Steve was still asleep so Bucky didn’t move, listening to his long steady breaths. It was early; the sun had only just begun to rise. Bucky jumped when an alarm went off across the room by Steve’s bed. Steve groaned, untangling himself from Bucky and sleepily padding over to his bed-side table, slapping his clock and stopping the horrid beeping. He stumbled back to the bed and collapsed beside Bucky. “What’s that for?” Bucky asked, very much awake. Steve just groaned. When Bucky was silent he looked at him, cracking open an eye. He was giving him his scolding look. The one he usually got after being beat to a pulp in an alley. He groaned again, digging his face into the pillows. “Running.” He muttered.   
“What?” Steve sighed and sat up slightly.   
“I go running in the mornings. Or I did.” Steve explained. “I just want to sleeeeeep.” He said groggily. Bucky laughed at his out of character whining and shouldered him awake. “C’mon. Don’t break habits because of me.” Steve glared at him. “THERE is the Steve I know. Go one, get up.” Bucky laughed. He was happy he made it through the whole night with sleep. Steve retreated to the bathroom to shower and Bucky got out of bed, not bothering to change. Steve’s scent clung to him and he liked it. He went to the kitchen right when there was a knock at the door. “Cap? You up yet?” Tony. Bucky sighed heavily, walking slowly to the door. He opened it trying not to glare. “Oh. You.” Tony scowled. “Where’s Steve?” He asked, shoving his way in. Bucky didn’t like how easily Steve’s name slid off Tony’s tongue. “Shower.” He growled.   
“I’ll wait.” Tony snarled back, eyeing Steve’s hoodie on Bucky’s figure. Bucky retreated to the bathroom. Steve was brushing his teeth, a towel around his waist. He was still wet from the shower and the room was steamy and smelled like shampoo. “Stark is here.” Bucky said, leaning in the doorway, admiring Steve’s exposed chest shamelessly. Steve glared slightly. Not in an angry way, more of a confused, deep-in-thought way. “What does he want?” Steve asked over his mouth full of toothpaste. “To talk to you.” Bucky said coldly. Steve rinsed his mouth and gave Bucky a knowing look. “Don’t be like that. It’s okay, you don’t have to talk to him.” Steve said, casually kissing the corner of Bucky’s mouth as he slid past to get dressed. Bucky smiled to himself, chest warm. Steve had no idea how nice simple affection was.   
He followed Steve out of their room to find Tony munching on some banana bread. Something tightened in Bucky. “Hey Tony. What’s up?” Steve said warmly, but Bucky saw him eye the bread. “I had some suit improvements I wanted to run by you and also I wanted to do a quick scan.” Tony said, winking. Bucky held back a growl. A quick scan? Like, wearing the minimum amount of clothing and scanning? Bucky wondered if Steve had ever done anything with Tony. Steve noticed Bucky’s restlessness and leaned back just a bit, snaking his arm around his waist. Tony’s face was priceless. “You can run some ideas by me, sure. What time were you thinking?”   
“Whenever you’re free.” Tony said, staring at Steve’s arm around Bucky’s waist, a symbol that Steve wasn’t ashamed of Bucky or their new relationship. “Great. I’ll let you know. You like the banana bread?” Tony looked up at Steve, smiling pleasantly, leaping at the chance to compliment him. “It was amazing.”   
“Well, Bucky is the best cook I know.” Steve smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. Tony’s face fell. He glared and waved goodbye. Bucky, as soon as Tony left, burst into laughter. Steve smiled, dropping his arm from Bucky’s waist while Bucky doubled over with laughter. It had been so long, he had nearly forgotten what it felt like. Memories of torture and pain seemed so far away.   
When Steve got back, Sam followed him into the room. Bucky was seated in a chair with a book, smelling Sam’s cologne before he saw him. “Barnes.” He said.   
“Wilson.” Bucky replied. “Hi Steve. How was the run?” Steve smiled and nodded.   
“Good. Ran into Sam and thought I’d invite him over.” Sam smirked behind Steve at Bucky, seeing his displeasure. Bucky rolled his eyes at him. “I’m gonna go take a nap.” He lied, retreating to the bedroom. 

“Well he is sour, isn’t he.” Sam said, sitting down on the couch. “Was he in your sweater?” Steve smiled slyly at Sam.   
“Yes he is.” Sam was kind of a stand in for Bucky when he was gone, same as Steve was a kind of stand in for Riley, so they had talked a lot over the last year. Sam laughed. “Good for you man.” Steve smiled back, glad to have Sam’s approval for some reason. They talked and joked and Bucky could hear them. He didn’t plan on sleeping but even if he had, they were as noisy as hyenas. He laid in Steve’s bed, breathing in his scent. It was comforting. He was warm so he took off the hoodie, looking at his scars. Remembering every memory that went with them like picking at a scab; he knew he shouldn’t but he did anyway. He imagined painting over his skin with some kind of magic paint that let him start fresh. His chest was a map of what he’d been through and oh how he wanted to burn it.   
He didn’t know that he had been staring at his chest, lost in thought for nearly two hours. Steve entered the room and Bucky jumped, pulling the blanket across his chest. Steve stopped, giving Bucky a sad look. He couldn’t blame him for hiding. He crawled into bed beside Bucky and held his cheek. “Buck… You know that you’re beautiful, right? All of you.” Steve said, pulling the covers back and sliding his hands up Bucky’s chest. It sent shivers down his spine and he bit his tongue. Steve leaned down, fondly kissing down a large scar that ran from his chest to his belly button. He carefully kissed every scar, not missing one. Bucky, self conscious, was a light pink as Steve did this. Though he was full of longing and wasn’t sure how long he could control himself. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Steve straddled his lap and pressed his face into the crook of Bucky’s neck, nipping and sucking under his jaw, claiming him as his own.   
“I love all of you.” He whispered, grinding against him. He bit his tongue, trying to keep quiet. Steve lifted his chin and kissed him, sliding his tongue over Bucky’s, grinding harder. Having no tongue available to bite down on, Bucky groaned into Steve’s mouth, feeling him grow hard against him. Well…. Harder. Bucky’s hands found Steve’s hips, sliding under his shirt. He let his hands roam and his hips grind back against Steve’s, causing him to moan against Bucky’s neck. Soon, they were just one person, hidden under the warm blankets of Steve’s bed.  
When Bucky woke up, Steve was hovering above him. He grinned at Bucky’s sleepy state and gently kissed his nose. Bucky hummed, closing his eyes and a grin spread across his face. “Hello, beautiful.” Steve said quietly. The timbre of his voice made Bucky’s heart pound with want. He blushed, pinching Steve’s side playfully. He squealed and rolled over beside Bucky. “Stevie, it’s so nice.” Bucky murmured as Steve shifted to face him. “Just being here with you. It’s so nice.” Steve hummed and nuzzled into Bucky’s neck, still sensitive with bruises. “I love you.” He could feel Steve smile against his neck.   
“I love you too. Since we were 16 years old.” He replied. God Bucky was glad he woke up. He snuggled into Steve’s chest feeling safe and comfortable. He never wanted this moment to end. “But wait, what about Dolores and-”  
“Shhhhhh.” Bucky interrupted. “I have needs.”


End file.
